Adding Data Labels is one of the ways in which you can
make your charts in PowerPoint more effective, informative, and relevant for your audience. Once added, you can also further change the appearance of
the Data Labels to suit your requirements, as explained in this tutorial.
To start with, you need to have a chart on your slide. If you don't have one,
insert a chart on your slide. Thereafter, follow these
steps to change the appearance of Data Labels in PowerPoint 2013:
- Select the chart and click the Chart Elements button on the top right of the chart (the plus sign highlighted in
red within Figure 1). This opens the Chart Elements gallery. Within the
Chart Elements gallery, hover your cursor over the Data Labels option. This brings up a right-arrow as shown
highlighted in blue within Figure 1. Click this right-arrow to open the Data Labels
sub-gallery -- within this sub-gallery, select More Options (highlighted in green within
Figure 1).
Figure 1: More Options
Alternatively, select the Data Labels of a Data Series in your
chart and right-click to bring up a contextual menu, as shown in Figure 2 -- from this menu, choose the
Format Data Labels option (refer to Figure 2 again).
Figure 2: Format Data Labels option
- Either of these options opens the Format Data Labels
Task Pane, as shown in Figure 3. In this
Task Pane, you'll find the Label Options and Text Options tabs. These two tabs provide you with all Chart Data
Table formatting options.
Figure 3: Format Data Labels Task Pane
Let us start with exploring the options within the Label Options tab, as shown in Figure 3. Do note that
some of these options listed below link to further tutorials with more details. Although the linked tutorials do not pertain specifically
to Data Labels, the principles explained hold good for Data Labels too.
A. Fill & Line
Here you will find various Fill and Border options for the Data Labels as shown in
Figure 4.
Figure 4: Fill and Line options for the Data Labels
- Fill: Includes various options that are used to format the fill of the text box containing Data Labels.
- Border: Includes various options that are used to format the outline of the text box containing Data Labels.
To learn more about these options, refer to our
Fill and Line Options for the Chart Area in
PowerPoint 2013 tutorial -- although the linked tutorial pertains to the Chart Area, the principles explained work similarly for Data Labels.
B. Effects
There are four Effects available for the a text box containing Data Labels as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5: Effects options for Chart Data Labels
To explore more, refer to our Effect Options for
Chart Area in PowerPoint 2013 tutorial. Again, although the linked tutorial pertains to the Chart Area, the principles explained work similarly
for Data Labels.
C. Size & Properties
Using the options shown within Figure 6, you can change the size of the text box containing Data
Labels, and also control other aspects such as alignment and direction of the text, margins etc.
Figure 6: Size & Properties option within Format Data Table Task Pane
To learn more about the Size & Properties options, refer to our
Text Layout Options in PowerPoint 2013 and
Text Box Autofit Options in PowerPoint 2013
tutorials.
D. Label Options
These options (see Figure 7) are used to edit the content, position, and format of the Data Labels.
Figure 7: Label Options within Format Data Table Task Pane
Explore more about these options in our
Label Options for Chart Data Labels in PowerPoint 2013 tutorial.
The Text Options tab of the Format Data Labels
Task Pane (highlighted in
red within Figure 8) provides you with the text editing options for your Chart Data Table text, as
shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8: Text Options tab within the Format Data Labels Task Pane
Let us explore the options within the Text Options tab, as marked in Figure 8.
A. Text Fill & Outline
Change the Text fill and outline of the Data Table text, as explained in our
Text Fill & Outline Options for
Chart Area in PowerPoint 2013 tutorial.
B. Text Effects
Choose from only Shadow, Reflection, and Glow effects (highlighted in
red within Figure 9) to make your Data Table text stand apart.
Figure 9: Text Effects for Chart Data Labels
For more information, refer to our
Text Effects Options for Chart Area in
PowerPoint 2013 tutorial. Although the linked tutorial pertains to the Chart Area, the principles explained work similarly for Data Labels.
C. Text box
Clicking the Text box button reveals the text alignment options for the Data Labels, as shown in
Figure 10.
Figure 10: Text box options for Chart Data Labels
- Select the required option and format the Data Table as required. Figure 11 shows our sample chart with formatted
Data Labels (compare with the chart in Figure 1).
Figure 11: Chart with formatted Data Labels
- Save your presentation often.
See Also:
Format Data Label Options for Charts in PowerPoint 2011 for Mac
